wirenuts

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mikeames said:
I . . . dont rely on the wire nut to keep them together. I do not pre twist either.[/i]
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How can you not have one or the other? :wink:

You are supposed to be able to rely on the wirenut to keep the wires together. It's a pressure wire connector.
 
LarryFine said:
How can you not have one or the other? :wink:

You are supposed to be able to rely on the wirenut to keep the wires together. It's a pressure wire connector.
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Good point..... What I really meant was I don't pre-twist, but when I put the wirenut on I make sure the wirenut puts 2-3 twists in the wire so if or when the wirenut is removed the wires don't spring apart
 
wirenuts

I have always turned them until the wires start twisting, that takes no strength and makes a perfect joint.
If you take the wire nut off the wires are still together, that's a good joint.
Semper Fi Buddy
 
I am compulsive about tight wire nuts but I HAVE seen the Ideal redheads split open after time. I only wve a tool to tighten in special circumstances (MWBC neutrals or #8 wires for example)
 
mattsilkwood said:
how tight do you guys put on your wirenuts. ive always really cranked em. had a guy tell me they were too tight:-? . just wondered what you guys thought.
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A guy I was working with was twisting some #12 solid in a switchbox a couple of weeks ago.....and twisting and twisting---twisting the conductors as he tightened.

Why are you doing that? I asked.

They told me to. He said.

Who's They?

You know, They.

Oh, I see. Says I.

Watch this. I said.

I took two scraps of wire and twisted a wirenut just enough to grab, and before the conductor began to twist. I handed him my linemans and said, Take my linemans and yours and grab each wire and pull hard. He pulled and pulled and the wire never came free from the wirenut.

That's as hard as you ever need to twist. I said.

Cool! He says.
 
frizbeedog said:
I took two scraps of wire and twisted a wirenut just enough to grab, and before the conductor began to twist. I handed him my linemans and said, Take my linemans and yours and grab each wire and pull hard. He pulled and pulled and the wire never came free from the wirenut.
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Now, run 20a through the connection for a few years.
 
frizbeedog said:
A guy I was working with was twisting some #12 solid in a switchbox a couple of weeks ago.....and twisting and twisting---twisting the conductors as he tightened.

Why are you doing that? I asked.

They told me to. He said.

Who's They?

You know, They.

Oh, I see. Says I.

Watch this. I said.

I took two scraps of wire and twisted a wirenut just enough to grab, and before the conductor began to twist. I handed him my linemans and said, Take my linemans and yours and grab each wire and pull hard. He pulled and pulled and the wire never came free from the wirenut.

That's as hard as you ever need to twist. I said.

Cool! He says.
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Not me...2 1/2 twist and pull , its the was my grand daddy taught me !!
 
The tug of war on the wire does not mean that it's a good electrical conection. Esp solid wire. But yes, we get your point. I'm guilty of wrenching the nuts and my wrists to just under the point of breaking. I have found it is important to make sure the ends of the wire but evenly in the wire nut so the spring grabs all conductors. I sure most of you have experienced opening a box to have a wire fall out of a wire nut.
 
S'mise said:
The tug of war on the wire does not mean that it's a good electrical conection.
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Everyone keep in mind, the tug-o-war example was just to prove a point....

....that modern wirenuts will hold with little effort, and for a long time. After twisting hundreds of thousands (I haven't kept track), you get a sense of whether or not you've made a good connection.

Seriously, guys, have a little faith in both the product and your ability to twist....and friggin' move on with it.

:smile:
 
frizbeedog said:
Everyone keep in mind, the tug-o-war example was just to prove a point....

....that modern wirenuts will hold with little effort, and for a long time. After twisting hundreds of thousands (I haven't kept track), you get a sense of whether or not you've made a good connection.

Seriously, guys, have a little faith in both the product and your ability to twist....and friggin' move on with it.

:smile:
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exactly! :)
 
IF your conductors are exactly straight,and fill the wirenut length wise, you should have ample contact with no twist. If you think about it, the cross section area of the conductor, is very very small compared to the contact area inside a wirenut. duh

I believe that no twist is effective, or the manufacturer would not state so.

I twist because I think that the conductors have less of a chance of failure due to any mistake that I might make. I ALWAYS appreciate the previous installer when I remove a wirenut and the wires hold them selves due to a twisted connection, while I test, or add a conductor, or just inspect.....AND I also believe that the more copper mass that is inside the wirenut the cooler the connection will be.

So twist, no twist, in general I dont think it makes a hill of beans, SO

"LETS TWIST AGAIN, LIKE WE DID LAST SUMMER" isnt that a song? :grin:
 
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